1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a female physical condition managing apparatus which is capable of making a decision about the female physical condition which appears periodically in a female, for example, on the ovulation day, at the time of appearance of the premenstrual syndrome (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cPMSxe2x80x9d) for menstruation period or for the pregnancy-possible period.
2. Prior Art
The women""s periodic body condition is related closely with their body temperature. The body temperature transfers from the low-temperature period to the high-temperature period on the ovulation day, and from the high-temperature period to the low-temperature period on the menstruation starting day, as shown in FIG. 1. Women take their body temperature every morning in bed to make manually a graphic record or table showing how the body temperature varies each and every day, thereby making it possible to determine which stage has been reached in the periodic physical condition.
It is necessary that women take their body temperature while laying themselves in bed, and it takes them about five minutes to measure their body temperature with body thermometers. This, however, is difficult to continue for a long time, and women often fall in sleep while taking their body temperature in bed.
A reliable decision can be made about some particular types of female physical condition on the basis of the body temperature, such as determination of the ovulation day, the menstruation period and the pregnancy-possible period, all of which are useful factors for birth control. Determination about whether women undergo the PMS has been increasingly in concern from the point of women""s daily life, but such decision is impossible with recourse to the recording of body temperature. The PMS starts seven days earlier than the beginning of the menstruation period, causing women to suffer from headache, irritation, stomachache, swell or any other unpleasing symptom. When they realize that their unpleasing symptoms are caused simply by the PMS, they can be released from their sufferings significantly.
As a matter of fact determination of female physical condition from the graphic record of body temperature is difficult, and such determination is apt to be dependent on her discretion.
As is the case with a conventional percent fat measurement-and-weight scale, it takes a significant length of time to measure a required quantity, and the user is apt to feel bored while making the required measurement. In the hope of reducing such boredom the result of the measurement is given in the form of a train of same figures extending with time. Presentation of same figures, however, causes motionless effect to viewers. Some people, therefore, still feel bored.
One object of the present invention is to provide a female physical condition managing apparatus which provides a quick decision on the periodic physical condition including the PMS.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a female physical condition managing apparatus permitting users to be released from feeling bored while making a required measurement or decision-making.
To attain this object a female physical condition managing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a bioelectrical impedance meter for determining values of bioelectrical impedance or BI values; a memory for storing the so determined BI values; a decision-making unit for making a decision about the monthly physical condition of a woman on the basis of the time series analysis of the variation of the BI values; and a display for showing the so made decision on the monthly physical condition of the woman and a BI transition symbolic curve. Hereinafter, the word, xe2x80x9cbioelectrical impedancexe2x80x9d is abbreviated as xe2x80x9cBIxe2x80x9d.
The period of BI transition symbolic curve may span from the menstruation to the next menstruation.
The monthly physical condition may include at least the delicate period, dieting period, pre- and post-ovulation, PMS preventing period, PMS period or post-delicate period.
The display may show at least one of the degree of swell, the date of the physical condition decided and the weight measured at the time the required measurement was determined.
The display may have a given mark moving on a BI transition symbolic curve while the required measurement is being effected or while the required decision is being made.
The display may show, in synchronism with the movement of the mark, the name identifying the period of physical condition and/or a swell-symbolic shape illustrating the degree of swell.
The display may have a given mark moving on a monthly periodic chart while the required measurement is being effected or while the required decision is being made.
The monthly periodic chart may be a sinusoidal curve, a circle or a straight line.
The mark may be a circle ∘ or an animal figure.
The mark may vary every month and/or every day in shape and/or color.
The display may be capable of retrieving selected data of measurement from an associated memory and of showing such data by means of telop while the required measurement is being effected or while the required decision is being made.
The display may give an animation-like presentation of monthly period while the required measurement is being effected or while the required decision is being made.
The animation-like presentation of monthly period may be composed of a series of figures illustrating how a chick appears from an egg.
The animation-like presentation of monthly period may be composed of a series of figures illustrating how the moon varies from crescent to full moon.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of some preferred embodiments of the present invention.